Black Bean, Shrimp, & Quinoa Bowl, by Cheryl

This recipe comes from Eating Well magazine. It's really easy to make and is very healthy! This is a great filling too if you want tortillas with it... I had it plain as the bowl, but Jon had it with the tortillas. I made a few adjustments: I added shrimp to make it a little more filling for dinner, and avocado because I can't have a Mexican inspired meal without avocado! I wasn't sure how the cabbage would tie in, but it added a nice flavor and crunch! Yum!

Ingredients:

1 cup quinoa
1 teaspoon ground cumin
olive oil
2 tablespoons rice vinegar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground pepper
4 cups thinly sliced cabbage (I found this to be too much)
1/2 cup finely chopped red onion
1 medium poblano pepper, chopped
1 15-ounce can black beans, rinsed
2 teaspoons chili powder
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1/2 cup salsa

Directions (original recipe):

1) Cook quinoa according to package directions. Fluff with fork and stir in cumin. Partially cover and set aside.

2) Whisk rice vinegar, 2 tablespoons olive oil, salt, and pepper in a bowl. Add cabbage and onion. Toss to coat.

3) Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil over medium heat and add the poblano pepper. Cook for about 2-3 minutes stirring occasionally. Stir in beans and chili powder and cook for about 2 more minutes.

4) To serve, layer in each bowl: 3/4 cup quinoa, 1/2 cup bean mixture, and 1/4 cup cheese. Top each portion with cabbage mixture and salsa.

5) I marinated the shrimp in lemon juice, red pepper flakes, and salt, and then cooked in a pan.

Banana, Mango, and Spinach Smoothie, by Cheryl

This has been my go to smoothie in the mornings! It's sweet from the mangoes and gives me a green boost from the spinach. An added bonus is that Julia loves this smoothie as well... I usually end up splitting it with her because she always wants more. Paired with an egg muffin from the previous recipe and it gives me the energy I need for a great morning workout, or a typical morning of chasing after Julia. Yum!

Ingredients:

1 cup coconut water
1 banana
1 cup frozen mango
chia seeds flax seeds
2 cups spinach (I've made it with kale as well)

Directions:

1) Pour coconut water and chia seeds into blender. Let sit for a couple of minutes in order for the chia seeds to absorb the water.

2) Add the rest of the ingredients and blend well.

Egg muffins, by Cheryl

This is a quick and easy recipe for a great breakfast and snack! Sometimes you just need something on the go when you either don't have anything on hand for breakfast or are short on time. A plus was that Julia loved these as well! Yum!

Ingredients:

5 eggs
milk - I probably used 1/4 cup
veggies- I used spinach, yellow pepper, and onions, diced
shredded cheese (optional)
pan spray
salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

1) Preheat the oven to 350.

2) In a pan cook the veggies (you can skip this step and not cook them first, but I wanted them softer for Julia).

3) Beat the eggs and milk together. Add the veggies and cheese and mix well.

4) Pour into the muffin tins and bake for 18-20 minutes.

Chocoladevla- Baked Chocolate Custard (The Netherlands), by Cheryl

Alright, back to my countries theme! This Dutch recipe (found here) was so good (and very easy)! It seriously belongs in the middle of a chocolate lava cake. It was a little too thin and very rich to just eat on its own (though we did) so I think if it were drizzled on top of a warm brownie or baked inside a cake it would be so delicious! YUM!!!!

Ingredients (makes 4 servings):

1 cup milk
1/2 cup cocoa powder
8 egg yolks
1/2 cup sugar
1 cup cream

Directions:

1) Bring the milk and cocoa powder to a boil. Let cool.

2) Beat the egg yolks with the sugar and mix with the chocolate milk.

3) Add the whipping cream and remove the pan from the stove.

4) Place mixture in the oven at 203F (95C) degrees and let back for an hour.

5) When done, remove from oven and keep stirring the custard until it cools down.

Detox Tonic, by Diane

I make a lot of tonics for yoga each Sunday morning, but this one deserved a posting. I had just come back from a weekend of traveling, drinking, and overeating and really needed a way to detox and cleanse. This was a delicious and effective creation, and really helped me to feel better throughout my day. If you don't have cardamom tea, you can just substitute either crushed cardamom pods or ground cardamom. You can buy tangerine oil from a health food store, I always have it on hand as it's great for your stomach and digestion as well as being anti-inflammatory, anti-septic, and anti-bacterial. Vary all amounts below to your taste preference.


Ingredients:

Hot water
Cardamom tea
Parsley, chopped or whole
Ginger, sliced into thin coins
Turmeric
Cinnamon
Ginger
1 Lemon, juice only
2 drops tangerine oil


Directions:

Let the cardamom tea steep and remaining ingredients in the hot water as directed. Let sit for at least 10 minutes to allow the flavors to mix.

Creamy Asparagus Potato Soup, by Cheryl

This comes from my Eating Well magazine. I was intrigued by it since we always eat roasted asparagus, but I never know what else to do with it! This recipe was just okay... I found it to be a little bland (I, of course, added salt... but that doesn't mean anything). I also didn't find it to be very creamy, but I think I could have cooked the asparagus and potatoes longer. It was good, not great, and I won't be making it again. I didn't even eat the leftovers! Yum?

Ingredients:

Olive oil
1 medium shallot, chopped
3 cups vegetable or chicken broth
1 pound asparagus, trimmed and cut into pieces
1 cup diced peeled potato
2 teaspoons horseradish
1/4 teaspoon salt
sliced scallions for garnish

Directions:

1) Heat a tablespoon of olive oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add shallot and cook, stirring until softened, 2-3 minutes. Add broth, asparagus, potato, horseradish, and salt; bring to boil.

2) Reduce heat and simmer until vegetables are tender, about 15 minutes. Puree with an immersion blender.

3) Serve the soup topped with croutons, or scallions.

2 Minute Steak and Mexican Corn, by Diane

This is an odd photo taken in a hurry to eat this deliciousness!

We made the greatest meal of my life last night. It started with a video on facebook of Gordon Ramsey cooking a steak perfectly in 2 minutes. Then we found a show on the cooking channel that made mexican corn with a sriracha mayo sauce. Thus, the perfect meal was born. I'm doing this in a combined post because, as you can see from the caption, we were so excited to eat this that I barely remembered to snap a pic. Plus, it's good combo anyway! YUM.

*Here's the video for the steaks, you may need to watch it to study before you cook the steaks since they are cooked so quickly at such high heat! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AmC9SmCBUj4

For the steak:

Ingredients:

2 NY Strip Steaks
Salt and Pepper
EVOO
2 cloves garlic, smashed
1 sprig fresh thyme
2 tbsp butter

Directions:

1. Let the steaks come to room temp, about 20 min before cooking.

2. Pat each side of the steak dry with a paper towel and season heavily with salt and pepper (you want a salt crust to lock in flavor and juiciness).

3. Bring a large saucepan up to high heat, add in 2 tbsp EVOO, and then add in the steaks. You want the steaks to sizzle as soon as they hit the pan, otherwise it's not hot enough.

4. Cook for 30 seconds, then flip with tongs. Add in smashed garlic and thyme. Turn the steaks on their side, fat side down, to render the fat for a few seconds.

5. Flip the steaks over again after another 30-60 seconds and add in 2 tbsp of butter, cut in half, so one tbsp goes on the side of each steak.

6. Cook for another 30 seconds and tilt the pan towards you, taking a spoon and basting the steaks with the melted butter. Rub garlic into each of the steaks and flip over one last time.

7. After 30 seconds, remove the steaks and let them rest on a plate or cutting board for a few minutes before cutting them.


For the corn:

Ingredients:

4 ears of corn
1/2 cup mayo
2 tbsp sriracha (this will be VERY spicy, so I suggest starting with 1)
2 tbsp lime juice

Directions:

1. Mix mayo, sriracha, and lime juice in a bowl and set aside in the fridge.

2. Grill corn until blackened on all sides.

3. When the corn is done, remove from grill into a platter/plate and immediately brush with the mayo sauce. Make sure to use a lot, it's really good!!

Watermelon Granita, by Diane

Ermagod this recipe is SO good. I made it as a dessert for bookclub, as our theme this month was 4th of July. This is the PERFECT summer dessert for cookouts, BBQ's, or just when you need to cool off. It could not have been easier to make, and I customized it to make it really summery and delicious (I included what I added in the ingredient list below because it came out so awesome). YUM!

Note: The original recipe called for 1/2 cup of sugar, but I thankfully thought this would be too much and tried it first with 1/4 cup. I'm not even sure this amount was necessary, as the watermelon I picked was sweet enough on it's own. The sugar may be a good edition if watermelon is out of season, otherwise I think you can skip it altogether.

Another note: this recipe also makes a DELICIOUS smoothie if you don't freeze it!! :)

Ingredients:

1 large seedless watermelon, cut in large chunks (or 4 cups)
Juice of 1 lime
1/4-1/2 inch ginger, finely grated
1/4 cup mint leaves, chopped finely
1/4cup sugar, optional

Directions:

1. Add all ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth. You may need to add the watermelon in batches until it fits.

2. Pour into a METAL baking dish- this is important. The granita will not freeze properly in any other type of baking dish. Place the dish uncovered in the freezer.

3. After an hour, scrape with a fork and place back in the freezer.

4. Freeze for 2 more hours, scrape again with the fork. The granita can be served now, or you can cover it with foil and make up to 3 days ahead of time.